Sawing machines, including vertical band saws having tilting frames and mechanisms and controllers for changing the angle of tilt of the saw blade, are known in the art. A saw and wide sweep tilting mechanism of this general type is described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,494, issued to Jourdan, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Vertical cutting blades are very effective in cutting round stock. Vertical cutting blades are also very important to “notching” operations. Notching operations are, generally, cutting operations in which a first cut must match a second cut and are employed if, for example, a section must be removed from a work piece. In such a situation, a first cut is made into the work piece. A second cut is then made that meets the first cut, thereby removing that portion cut out of the work piece. Obviously, a vertical cutting blade is required, or the first cut and second cut would not completely match, leading to either an incomplete cut of the work piece or an overcut of the work piece.
However, if notch cuts are not required and the work pieces to be cut present a flat vertical surface to the cutting blade, then a forward canted blade is very advantageous. A canted blade cuts a more consistent cutting area, thus achieving a faster cut rate and better blade life. Additionally, a canted blade is much less likely to “walk” when confronted with a vertical cutting surface, and is therefore more likely to produce a straight cut. Additionally, a forward canted blade does not reduce the effectiveness of the band saw when cutting round stock.
Currently, saws are sold as either vertical cutting blades or forward canted cutting blades. Thus, users of the saws must determine in advance what their primary needs are and then select between the vertical or forward canted saws, or purchase both types of saws.
Therefore, what is needed is a simple and inexpensive means for manufacturing band saws, including vertical band saws that are capable of providing both a forward canted blade and a standard vertical blade. What is also needed is a vertical band saw that is variably adjustable between a vertical blade and a forward canted blade position. Lastly, to reduce assembly lead time, assembly of the band saw should not be unduly complicated by the addition of such means for providing both a forward canted and a vertical band saw blade.